There is only one snooker player who has ever achieved the incredible 155 break on camera, and the footage of it has been viewed millions of times online.
While the standard maximum break in snooker is 147 points—a feat that has only been achieved 216 times in professional tournament history—the absolute highest break possible in a single visit is 155 points.
Only one professional player is confirmed to have captured this elusive “alternative maximum” on video: Thai cueist Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
A break higher than 147 points can only be achieved under a very specific set of circumstances involving the “free ball” rule:
The Foul: An opponent must commit a foul, and the incoming player must be left snookered on all of the red balls.
The Free Ball: The player must successfully nominate and pot a free ball (a colour ball played for the value of a red, 1 point).
The Black: To set up the 155, the player must then pot the black ball (7 points) as the colour. This makes the opening score 8 points ($1 + 7 = 8$).
The Clearance: The player must then follow with a perfect 147 maximum break (15 reds, 15 blacks, and all six colours in order).
This adds up to a grand total of $\textbf{8} + \textbf{147} = \textbf{155}$ points.
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, often nicknamed “F1” for his exceptionally fast playing style, achieved the break during a practice session in August 2021 at the Q House Snooker Academy in Darlington, England.
He was playing against fellow professional star Hossein Vafaei when the opportunity arose. The momentous occasion was captured on the club’s CCTV camera, and footage was later uploaded online by the club’s manager and former pro, Mike Dunn. Un-Nooh was visibly overjoyed upon realising his unbelievable achievement had been recorded.
While Un-Nooh is the only one with video evidence, the 155 break has been claimed by a few other high-profile players in the past, though these events were not captured on film:
Jamie Cope: Widely reported to have made the first ever 155 break during a witnessed practice match back in 2006.
Mark Allen: The Masters champion claimed to have compiled a 155 break during a practice session in 2020.
Alex Higgins: The legendary two-time World Champion is also rumoured to have achieved the break at some point in his career.